It’s that time of the year, as Formula 1 heads to one of Italy’s yearly challenges for veterans and rookies, as we head into the highly technical Imola circuit.
Few circuits are as iconic as the Autódromo Internacional Enzo e Dino Ferrari, and even fewer can test a driver’s temper with its raw top speed and hard corners that bear many tragedies on their rails and gravel pits.
The Track
The track bears the name of the legend itself, Enzo Ferrari, and his late son who died in a tragic car accident at the young age of 24 years old. The track is located 20 miles east of Bologna, in the charming town of Imola, within the Emilia-Romagna region.
The track is 3.05 miles long and the grand prix 63 laps in duration. The cars race anti-clockwise, with nine right-handers and 10 left-handers, reaching top speeds of up to 200 M/H. Full throttle is achieved in Rivazza’s technical double left (turn 19) exit into Tamburelo’s main straight (turn 1) with the possibility of activating the DRS if they are within 1 second of the driver in chase.
The History
The event used to be called the San Marino Grand Prix, a name that sadly reminds old fans and veterans of one of the most tragic events ever in F1: the death of Ayrton Senna.
Senna’s death at the 1994 edition of the San Marino GP became the tragic example of the concerns regarding the circuit’s layout, as it was very fast with almost no turns, most notably the old Tamburello bend. That portion of the track showcased a flat-out left-hand bend with no runoff area, with just a concrete wall behind which the Santerno river ran alongside.
The first warning came during Saturday’s qualifying session, when Roland Ratzenberger sped through Tamburello flat out but with his car bearing one fatal flaw. On the previous lap, he ran off track and damaged his front wing, and as the wind hit the car going over 190 Mph, it snapped off. Ratzenberger lost control just before the Villaneuve corner and hit the wall at full speed in a fatal crash.
Despite Roland’s tragedy on Saturday, the show continued. The lights went off in the morning of May 1st, 1994, with a tragedy soon to follow as the race would be red-flagged by lap seven. Like the late Austrian driver Ratzenberger, Senna exited the Variante Bassa turn and went flat out over Tamburello, and by the middle of the bend, veered off track, punching the car’s front-right side against the wall at 136 Mph. The wheel and suspension were knocked back against the cockpit. A suspension arm fatally pierced Ayrton Senna’s helmet, notching the track’s second driver death of the weekend.
After the flames were extinguished and the car was recovered from the crash, in what many could call death’s irony, a small Austrian flag was found in the cockpit. It was reported that Senna intended to hoist the flag to honor Roland Ratzenberger’s death.
Now, over 35 years later, their deaths paved the way for the modern safety innovations in F1. We know today that a massive safety overhaul was conducted following the disastrous 1994 San Marino GP. It effectively marked the end of what some call the Golden era of F1, an era of high risks and dangerous driving for competitors who didn’t know if they would finish the season alive; an era that many would argue the gold was paid in blood.
The Weekend’s Favored
The McLarens are certainly looking strong this weekend with Oscar Piastri as the man to beat, carrying a 16-point lead over his teammate Lando Norris. The Papaya team brings upgrades focusing on increased aerodynamic load, modifying the rear wing along with the rear corner and suspension.
Aston Martin is looking to get back into the fight as they bring the biggest upgrade package to Italy. The major changes can be found in the floor which has been fully revised floor with fences and an edge along with the diffuser and beam wings. In their words, this should improve the flowfield beneath the car which increase the local load generated under the floor and should hopefully translate into their first points this season.
The full list of upgrades is listed below :
Ferrari: New sidepods (“P-shape” inlets), engine cover, diffuser, rear suspension fairings, floor edge, front and rear wings. | Focus on Aerodynamic efficiency, cooling and load.
Red Bull: Revised front wing, floor edge vortex control, floor upper surface lowered, rear brake duct redesign | Focus on Stability, downforce and cooling
Mercedes: Modified floor and fences, new beam wing, front brake ducts, new rear wing Aerodynamics, cooling
Aston Martin: Front wing and nose, floor and edge, diffuser, engine cover, rear suspension and rear corner redesign. | Downforce, ground effect, cooling
McLaren: Circuit-specific higher drag rear and beam wing | It’s a drag-optimized setup for the Imola layout
Alpine: Floor edge ‘stay’ to reduce flex, modified beam wing | Floor stiffness, diffuser efficiency
Williams: New lightweight laminate on floor body | Weight saving
Haas: New front wing endplate, revised rear suspension fairing, repositioned rear winglet cluster | Aero load and flow management
Sauber: Extended floor fences, reprofiled floor front section. | Downforce, aero efficiency
Racing Bulls: No upgrades introduced.
